Welting and shoemaking therewith



May 5, 1936.

P. c. ARNOLD 2,039,287

WELTING AND SHOEMAKING THEREWITH Filed April 6, 1953 //VVE VTOR Bar-Z 0. flrwolci.

Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELTING AND SHOEMAKING THEREWITH Application April 6, 1933, Serial No. 664,742

17 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of welting for incorporation in shoes having a short upper, i. e. an upper so cut that it has no excess margin that-may be overlasted to lie under the insole.

The object of this invention is to improve welting of the type having a pair of edge flaps within which the short upper is secured, by the additlon of a flange-like lasting allowance attached to the welt through which the welt may be exactly located at the edge of the insole and flrmly secured beneath the insole. Those skilled in the art will recognize from the following description that the novel welting may be applied completely around a short shoe upper by a lapped joint, or it may be applied only to the forepart of the upper by butting and tucking in the ends as in Goodyear work. The term shoe upper herein is to be so understood. The lasting allowance on the welting is preferably, but not necessarily, an integral part of the strand from which the welting is prepared and may be provided in several ways as will hereinafter appear.

Accordingly this invention comprises welting oi the type described improved by the provision of lasting allowance, the process of its manufacture, and its incorporation in shoes of the kind having a short upper, all as hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will best be understood by reference .to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 shows a portion of a strand of grain leather used as a blank;

Fig. 2 shows the welting strand 01 Fig. 1 split twice at one edge to produce two upper embracing flaps and a lasting allowance flange;

Fig. 3 shows a variation of Fig. 2 in that both edges of the strand are split for the P se stated;

Figs. 4 and 5 show how the welting strands of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, may be manipulated while securing a welt to a short upper; and

Figs. 6 and '7 show sections of a shoe in which the welts of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, have been incorporated.

In the following description the manufacture and use of the welting of this invention will, for simplicity, be confined to the processing of grain leather, but it should be distinctly understood that the usefulness 01' this invention is not limited to leather because any suitable welting material may be processed and used in like manner; nor are dimensions given because they vary greatly with the size and kind of shoe for which the welting is made. The general fleld of usefulness of the welting includes children's. growing girls, misses, little gents and boys shoes; work shoes for all ages; and sport shoes, particularly of the serviceable type.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6 a grain leather strand II is split twice transversely through one edge producing a grain faced flap or flange I! of reasonable weight (according to the weight of the original strand), an adjoining or central flesh flap or flange l3 preferably of lighter weight, and a second flesh flap or flange ll preferably of substantially the weight of the grain laced flap. The grain face of the strand i0, along the line of joinder of the welt extension l5 and the slltted margin, may be scored as at it to assist in folding or turning the upper two flaps l2 and I3 upward parallelly rein,- tive to the welt extension.

The lower edge of the shoe upper ll, that is out too short to overlast and whichmay have merely its forepart short or may be short throughout its periphery, is laid between the flaps i2 and I3 and secured to the welt, conveniently by stitching. When incorporated in a shoe the upper-embracing flaps stand substantially perpendicular to the plane of the welt extension I! and in folding these flaps upward the grain faced flap slides upward on the contiguous flesh flap. In order to preserve a flat grain or to prevent buckling, the flaps may be turned upward before seeming the upper as shown by Fig. 4. Also the flange II, which provides a lasting allowance, is bent inward at this stage to a reversed position so that the upper and upper-embracing flaps may lie flat on the bed oi a sewing machine. Ordinarily the securement is by stitching in a Singer, Puritan or other suitable dry thread sewing machine, one or more rows of stitching 2| being usedasmaybedesired.1ftheshortupperis provided with a lining 22 as is preferable in show having this novel welt, the lining, if of the usual length permitting lasting in under the insole, merely hangs down loosely (see Fig. 4) in front of the bed of the sewing machine while the welt is being stitched to the upper.

The welted upper is then assembled on a last with an insole 2. At this stage the extension II is outturned and the flange ll extends inwardly therefrom so that the latter may be used as a lasting allowance if hand lasted, being seined by the pincers and drawn over the insole and the excess margin ofthelining,orbeingwipcdin overtheinsoleiflastedbyabodtypemachino. The overlasted lining and welt flange ll may be secured to the insole by cement or by any suitable type of fastener. Littleway process staples are illustrated in Fig. 4. After lasting, the shoe is bottomed with an outsole 26 of any desired material and secured in any suitable manner as by an outseam 28. Later shoemaking steps may be as usual.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 7 the strand i is split at one edge to form the grain faced and flesh flaps l2 and I3 adapted to embrace the scant upper l8 but the lasting allowance flange i4"- is split in a lower plane (Fig. 3) from .the opposite edge of the strand, being formed from the lower portion of the flesh below the welt extension iii. In stitching, as at 20', the flaps l2 and 13 may be turned upward as hereinbefore described, and with this form of the welt the lasting allowance flange H naturally lies out of the way of the stitch-forming mechanism. Assembling and lasting are performed as before described, except that with the welt shown in Fig. 6 the flange l4 extends naturally inward from the welt extension to lie under the insole but with the welt shown in Fig. 7 the flange ll must be turned or folded inward (see 30, Fig. 7) from the welt extension so that it may be used as a lasting allowance for securement to the insole 24 with the lining 22*. This form of the welting is more effective in the lighter weights as used for children's shoes. An outsole 26 may be attached by an outseam 28 as before.

Those skilled in the manufacture of shoes will recognize that the'process hereinbefore described may be varied to suit particular conditions. For example, it is within the scope of the invention to insert the short upper between the upper embracing flaps of the welt while the welt is in a flat or unformed condition and then attach the welt to the upper by stitching or otherwise. Such a mode of securement is desirable for the larger and less flexible welts for work shoes and the like. Bending heavy welts on the last to angular form is facilitated by the fold scoring; in fact the welting will preferably be formed-up before being solid so that after flattening out reforming on the last is easily accomplished especially as the flesh flap will stretch somewhat during the welt heating operation. It is preferable to skive the heavier weight uppers and tuck them well into the edge slit as shown by Figs. 4 and 6 although all shoe uppers may be skived if desired. On shoes fitted with a continuous welt the joint may be made by skiving or by butting the welt ends as the manufacturer may desire, the welt ends being so cut that the joint or splice is both neat and tight.

The claims herein purposely do not embrace the shoe illustrated and described except as fitted with the novel welting having an attached lasting allowance, nor do -they embrace the method of manufacturing a shoe with a short upper secured to the welt between two flaps or flanges upturned from the welt extension, or such novel welting in its broader aspects, all of which is claimed in a co-pending application of William C. Vizard Ser. No. 664,722 filed of even date herewith. Reference is had to that copending application for refinements in the manufacture of the welting, for example skiving or thinning parts thereof for smooth or finishing contours inside or outside the shoe and to variations in the mode of securement of the welt to the short upper, all of which are equally applicable to the welting of this inven- 7 tion The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and its preferred embodiments and the method of its manufacture and shoemaking therewith having been specifically described, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a welted shoe of the type having an insole and a short upper, grain leather welting having one edge split producing contiguous longitudinal grain faced and flesh flaps both turned upward parallelly relative to the grain extension to embrace said short shoe upper, and also having a flange-like lasting allowance extending inward from said grain extension for securement to the insole.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said lasting allowance consists of a second longitudinal flesh flap at one edge of the welting.

3. In a shoe of the type having an upper too short to overlast, a welt having a longitudinal edge-slit under one face and a second longitudinal edge-slit under the other face producing a blank having three marginal flaps, two of said flaps adjoining each other being both turned upward parailelly relative to the welt extension to embrace said short shoe upper and said remaining flap providing a flange-like lasting allowance for said short shoe upper. Y

4. Leather welting split through one edge inward substantially half way through the strand forming an upper'flap and a lower flesh flap both at one edge of the remaining welt extension an:

separable to receive a scant shoe upper between them, and also split through the opposite edge inward substantially to the inner edge of said' two upstanding, integral flaps embracing said upper and a third integral flap or flange lasted flat under the insole, said upper being secured within said upstanding flaps, and a suitably secured outsole bottoming the shoe.

7. A shoe according to claim 6 in which all three flaps are split from the same edge of the welt and said third flap extends naturally inward from said welt extension to lie under the insole.

8. A shoe according to claim 6 in which said two upper embracing flaps are split from one edge of the welt and said lasting allowance flange is split from its other edge but is folded inward from said welt extension to lie under the insole.

9. Welting for shoes consisting of a body portion forming a welt extension, two separable fiaps integral with the inner edge of said body portion and both standing substantially perpendicular to the plane of said extension, and a third flap providing lasting allowance also integral with said inner edge and extending in lateral continuation of said extension.

10. The method of preparing welting for welted shoes having short uppers which comprises cutting two edge slits in a strand of grain leather forming three integral flaps comprising one grain faced flap and two fleshflaps, and turning said grain faced flap and one flesh flap upward along a line defining the base of the slits into upper embracing position relatively to the grain extension and leaving said third flap as free lasting allowance for the short upper.

11. The method described by claim 10 in which said two edge slits are cut in the opposite edges of the strand.

12. The method described by claim 10 in which said two edge slits are cut in the opposite edges of the strand and said third flap is folded to lie inward of said two upwardly turned flaps.

13. The method of making shoes which includes cutting an upper too short to overlast, supplying a welt having two separable, flaps at one edge of its extension and a third flap or flange providing lasting allowance, attaching the lower edge of said upper between and to said two separable flaps, assembling an insole and said welted upper on a last with said lasting allowance flange at the inner side of the upper, lasting said upper down to the wood while working said welt extension to the edge of the insole, setting said lasting allowance flange over the insole, securing said flange to the insole, and bottoming with an outsole secured to the welt extension outturned to lie substantially in the plane of the insole.

14. The method of making shoes according to claim 13 in which said welt, after attachment to the upper, is prepared for lasting by being bent along the line of the embraced edge oi the upper to outturn its welt extension and to cause its lasting allowance flange to extend inward relatively to the upper.

15. The method of making shoes which includes cutting an upper too short to overlast, supplying a welt having two separable flaps at one edge of its extension and a lasting allowance flange extending inward from said welt extension, attaching the lower edge of said upper between and to said separable flaps, assembling said welted upper on a last and turning the welt extension outward forming an outturned flange at said lower edge oi. the upper, lasting to conform said upper to the last and said welt to the shape of the last bottom and setting said lasting allowance flange inward of the upper in the plane of the welt extension, and bottoming the shoe by securing an outsole to said welt.

16. In a welted shoe of the type having an upper too shortto overlast, a welt having an outturned welt extension provided with two separable flaps at its inner edge, said flaps being both turned upward from the welt extension and said short upper being between and secured to said flaps, and said welt having a flange-like lasting allowance extending inward of the upper in lateral continuation of the welt extension.

' 171 A welted shoe having an upper too short to overlast, an insole within the lower edge of said upper, a welt having its extension turned outward from the upper and having two upstanding flaps between' which said lower edge of the upper is secured, said welt having a third flap or flange extending inward from the welt extension beneath and secured to the insole, and a suitably secured outsole bottoming the shoe. PEARL C. ARNOLD.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent N0. 2,059,287. May 5, 1936.

PEARL C. ARNOLD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2., first column, line 46, for the word "solid" read sold; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office Signed and sealed this 9th day of June, A. D. 1936.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

